Loading machine

ABSTRACT

A loading machine especially designed to be utilized in smaller drift mines and tunnels. The machine comprises a wheeled chassis and a track adjustable at different vertical angles, the track being provided with a continuous conveyor. Pivotably journalled at the loading end of the track are two digging arms which are controlled by hydraulic cylinders so as to effect digging movement in a direction towards each other in essentially vertical swinging planes which form an angle with the longitudinal direction of the track.

United States Patent 1191 Gelfgren et al.

[451 Apr. 10, 1973 LOADING MACHINE [75] Inventors: Erik Kurt Hannes Gelfgren; Karl Verner Peterson, both of Omskoldsvik; Olle Sundin, Gullanget, all of Sweden [73] 'Assignee: AB Hagglund & Soner, Oinskoldsvik, Sweden [22] Filed: Sept. 15, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 72,262

'30 Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 24, 1969 Sweden ..13l47/69 52 us. c1. ..198/l0, 37/104 51 Int. Cl ..B65g 65/06 [58] Field ni Search 198/10, 9; 37/104; 172/16; 104/2 7 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,903,675 4/1933 l-lauge l98/l0 9/1944 McWilliams ..37/l04 1/1957 Kling ..l98/9 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 387,939 8/1920 Germany Primary ExaminerRichard E. Aegerter Assistant Examiner-Douglas D. Watts Attorney-Cushman, Darby & Cushman ABSTRACT A loading machine especially designed to be utilized in smaller drift mines and tunnels. The machine comprises a wheeled chassis and a track adjustable at different vertical angles, the track being provided with a continuous conveyor. Pivotably journalled at the loading end of the track are two digging arms which are controlled by hydraulic cylinders so as to effect digging movement in a direction towards each other in essentially vertical swinging planes which form an angle with the longitudinal direction of the track.

1 Claim, 1 Drawing Figure LOADING MACHINE The present invention relates to a loading machine especially designed to be utilized for operating in smaller drift mines and tunnels but which can, if necessary, be used for loading work above ground. The machine is of the type which comprises a wheeled chassis and a track on said chassis, said track being adjustable at differentvertical angles. Extending out along the bottom of said track is a continuous conveyor, e.g. comprising two continuous chains having intermediate carrier means. Said conveyor picks up material con veyed to the tracks lower loading end by digging means which are journalled on the machine, and then conveys same up the track to the unloading end.

Machines of this type are known which have digging means in the shape of digging arms journalled to the loading end of the machine and swinging laterally in a horizontal plane. A drawback with these machines is that the control means for the digging arms must be placed low and therefore can be easily damaged by the material which is to'be loaded. Another drawback is that these control means are complicated and give the digging arms a limited movement laterally. Therefore, these machines are so arranged that the whole, or part of the machine makes an oscillating movement to pick up material over the width of the entire drift or tunnel.

Another known machine has one forward and reverse working digging. arm. in such a machine, the digging arm must be able to swing laterally as well so that all material at the side of the machine can be collected. To this end, the digging arm is provided with control means for its swinging movement laterally. This complicates the machine and makes the loading work time-consuming.

The object of the present invention is to produce a loading machine of the above given type which permits quick and effective loading over the entire width of the drift or tunnel without resorting to the above mentioned complicated arrangements. This is accomplished according to the invention in that the digging means consist of two digging arms pivotably journalled at the loading end of the track. Said digging arms are operated by means of hydraulic cylinders in a mutual direction in essentially vertical swinging planes which form an angle with the longitudinal direction of the track in order to feed the loading material in the feeding area in front of the loading end of said track. With this arrangem'enthaving two digging arms pivotable in a vertical plane, the control means can be made more simple than the means in the known machines, and still provide such swinging movement of the digging arms that the material over the width of the entire drift or tunnel is directed in towards the middle of the machine. Furthermore, the control means can be placed above the material which is to be loaded. This implies less wear and longer work time for the machine.

' In an embodiment of the machine according to the invention, the digging arms are pivotably journalled at the outer ends of a transverse beam construction which, in turn, is supported at the front ends of two iongitudinal swing arms which, at their back ends, are pivotably journalled on the chassis and are controllable by means of hydraulic cylinders for elevating and lowering said digging arms. Because the journalling points of the digging arms are thereby adjustable as to elevation and lowering, the positions of the digging arms can be regulated as desired. Thus, an elevating of the digging arms can be effected if too much material has accumulated between the buckets of said digging arms thus causing too great a force in order to fulfill the digging movement towards the middle of the tunnel. The elevation of the digging arms is maintained until said arms have been returned to maximum gripping width or against the drift or tunnel wall. The arm movement is so arranged that, if necessary, each digging arm can be allowed to carry out a work cycle independent of the other, or so that it is wholly or partially synchronized with the other digging arm. in addition, each digging arm can be arranged to be adapted automatically to begin its centering or loading movement at the drift wall, regardless of the irregularity of the wall. The digging arms are controlled by hydraulic control equipment which, with known means, can be made to effect desired movements.

It is particularly advantageous if the digging arms are operative in front of two collecting arms projecting out from each side of the loading end of the track. When the machine moves forward, said collecting arms form guiding surfaces for the material within the digging area of the digging arms at the side of the track. Hereby made possible is the gathering up of material over the entire width of the tunnel during continuous forward movement of the machine. Thus, the machine does not have to be stopped or driven back and forth during the loading operation, as is the case with the known machines, in order that the material over the entire width of the drift or tunnel can be collected.

The machine according to the invention is more closely described with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawing where the FIGURE shows a schematic perspective view of a suitable embodiment of a loading machine according to the invention.

In the embodiment shown, the machines chassis runs with wheels 10 on a rail 11. As an alternative, the machinecan be equipped with rubber wheels or with means for driving caterpilllar treads for forward movement directly on the substrate. However, the machine is primarily designed to go on rails whereby the forward movement can occur with the machine s own operating device, climbing cylinders, or with locomotive or other pulling vehicles.

An inclining track 12 having a bottom 13 and side walls 14 is pivotable around an axle 16'which is supported by arms 17 secured to the chassis. The pivoting of the track occurs with the help of hydraulic cylinders 18.

in the position shown, the tracks loading end is lowered to the vicinity of the rails in order to pick up loading material, such as broken rock, sand or gravel, in the area in front of the track.

Two continuous chains 20,21 operated by a motor (not shown) run along the bottom of the track. Provided between the chains 20,21 are collecting means in the form of bars 22 having a parallelepipedic cross-section. At the lower and upper'ends of the track, the chains run over sprockets. During the feeding operation of the machine, the lower end of the track will be pressed against the loading material and will collect same with the bars up along the track.

In order to get material at the sides of the track to move to the center of said track, the machine is provided with two pivotable digging arms 25,26. These are pivotably suspended from a beam construction 27 and are controllable by means of their own separate hydraulic cylinder 28,29. The beam construction is supported by the front ends of the two swing arms 30, 31 which are pivotably journalled, at their back ends, on the chassis and are adjustable for elevation and lowering by means of hydraulic cylinders 32. In order to facilitate the collection of all material at the side of the machine during continuous forward movement of same, the digging arms 25,26 are operative in front of two laterally directed collecting arms 23,24 at the front end of the track. The collecting arms 23,24 are securely bolted to the chassis and have an essentially vertical front side which lies parallel to the swinging plane of the adjacent digging arm. When the digging arms are at their inner position in the vicinity of the tracks center line, the collecting arms are arranged to prevent the material from passing at the sides of the machine during the forward movement of same.

If so desired, the machine can be equipped with a loading table 33 whose top side is dish-shaped so that the loading material will slide down towards the end of the track,

The machine is used in the manner described above.

What we claim is:

l. A loading machine comprising:

a wheeled chassis having a front end and a rear end;

an inclined continuous conveyor including a rigid track carried by said chassis, said conveyor being angularly adjustable and extending longitudinally of said chassis and extending upwardly and rearwardly from a lower loading end to an upper unloading end,

at least two digging arms each pivotally mounted in front of said conveyor for swinging movement in an essentially vertical plane which forms an angle with the longitudinal dimension of said conveyor, said digging arms being disposed on opposite sides of said machine so as to be capable of effecting digging movements toward each other, and the pivot axes of said digging arms being located laterally outwardly of said conveyor, and

the digging arms are operative in front of two collecting arms having essentially vertical front sides extending out from each side of the tracks loading end, said arms forming guiding surfaces when the machine is moving forward for material within digging reach, at the side of the track, of the digging arms in order to allow picking up of material over the entire width of a drift or tunnel during continuous forward movement of the machine. 

1. A loading machine comprising: a wheeled chassis having a front end and a rear end; an inclined continuous conveyor including a rigid track carried by said chassis, said conveyor being angularly adjustable and extending longitudinally of said chassis and extending upwardly and rearwardly from a lower loading end to an upper unloading end, at least two digging arms each pivotally mounted in front of said conveyor for swinging movement in an essentially vertical plane which forms an angle with the longitudinal dimension of said conveyor, said digging arms being disposed on opposite sides of said machine so as to be capable of effecting digging movements toward each other, and the pivot axes of said digging arms being located laterally outwardly of said conveyor, and the digging arms are operative in front of two collecting arms having essentially vertical front sides extending out from each side of the track''s loading end, said arms forming guiding surfaces when the machine is moving forward for material within digging reach, at the side of the track, of the digging arms in order to allow picking up of material over the entire width of a drift or tunnel during continuous forward movement of the machine. 